Nonnegativity criteria for fourth degree polynomials on the axis (Q941283)

Nonnegative polynomials \(f(x)\) on the line \(R = (-\infty,+\infty)\) are characterized by the possibility to be represented as a sum \(f(x) = g^2(x) + h^2(x)\) of squares of two real polynomials \(g\) and \(h\). However, up to now, in the general case, no conditions on the coefficients of a polynomial \(f\) are known under which it is a sum of two squares. In this paper, the authors give such nonnegativity conditions for fourth degree polynomials on the axis. The following theorem is proved: For real \(b, c, d\) such that \(c\neq 0\), \(d > 0\), in order for a polynomial \(P(x) = x^4 + bx^2 +cx+d\) to be nonnegative on the whole axis \((-\infty,+\infty)\), it is necessary and sufficient that, for \(b\geq 0\), the discriminant \(D(P)\geq 0\), and, for \(b < 0\), that the two conditions \(D(P)\geq 0\) and \(d > b^2/4\) hold. Several related theorems are also proved.